emissions control warning light

[tracy1971]

hi, startin new thread due to bein your typical female, and not having a clue where to look for answers!!! have a 206 cc 1.6 petrol, mega probs last winter, ended up having the TDC sensors done at a pug garage. fab for a while, then 6 mths ago, started getting 'heebie jeebies'! (my word!!) ie, loss of power going uphill, and a really juddery ride, as if there was a blockage or air in the fuel pipes, and fuel wasnt gettin thru tidy. again, intermittently, would sometimes stop partway into the journey, then be fine for a while, then go again. a friendly mechanic cleaned up some flap to do with the throttle, and was fine till yesterday ( also full service done, spark plugs fine). My emissions control warning light came on whilst i was driving, so i pulled over and left her idling, revs went loopy for a few seconds then settled, but the light stayed on. i've had the intermittent antipollution fault flash up from the word go. restarted the engine a few times, and the light is now going off, just wondering (cos my mechanic isn't a specialised pug one) if anyone has any ideas what the most likely problem is, and will i do anymore damage if i carry on driving it when the light stays on?! She has also cut out once or twice on me, as i've been slowing down due to junctions, or cars in front turning right. pretty sure i've not stalled her, as there was no judder or anything, just a silent death!!!

[aaronwillis]

Emission control isn't that to do with the cat
Maybe that sensors up the shoot
Could be maybe playing up with the rest

[GrandadMonkey]

Are you using supermarket petrol?

[tracy1971]

using texaco petrol, not supermarket, cos i dont pass one on the way to work.....the mechanic i use said maybe the best way to sort it is to start with the cheapest solution, and work up. the local pug garage has quoted me £100 plus vat just for plugging it in! he said the biggest problem is the fact that it's so intermittent. will it do any harm driving if the warning light is staying on solid?

[tracy1971]

aaronwillis.....i've not got a clue with cars, lol, so here's the quote from the handbook..

Emission control warning light....this comes on for a few seconds each time the ignition is switched on.... if it comes on with the engine running, this indicates incorrect operation of the injection, ignition or emission control system. If the warning light flashes, there is a risk of damage to the catalytic convertor on petrol engines (touch wood, so far it's not been flashing!!)

[GrandadMonkey]

using texaco petrol, not supermarket, cos i dont pass one on the way to work.....the mechanic i use said maybe the best way to sort it is to start with the cheapest solution, and work up. the local pug garage has quoted me £100 plus vat just for plugging it in! he said the biggest problem is the fact that it's so intermittent. will it do any harm driving if the warning light is staying on solid?

I'd rather find out why it is staying on Tracy, rather than just leave it. Probably won't do any harm unless it starts running badly.

Glad you are using decent fuel. I assume its been serviced within the last 12 months. Do you do mainly short trips of less than say 4 miles? Has it had a long run out recently, say 30 miles or so at 60 - 70mph?
Ron

[tracy1971]

hiya, it was serviced about 2 mths ago, the mechanic said the plugs, etc, were fine. Mon-fri I do a 30 mile round journey, mostly on dual carriageways, averaging between 50-60 (and sometimes the odd 70 if i'm in a hurry, but don't tell anybody!!)
noticed on some posts it happens to others only when cold, but mine's had the hiccupy ride in hot weather as well as cold/damp.
This was the first time the light came on whilst i was driving and stayed on, however, over the weekend i've started her up quite a few times, and the light is now going off every time! as mentioned earlier, had some flap to do with the throttle cleaned up a few weeks ago, and she was running 80% better, until this blip friday night!

[GrandadMonkey]

Sounds as if it has cleared for the time being. Lots of cold starts without a decent run could cause a build-up of unburnt fuel and cause the sensors in your exhaust system to think you had an ignition or fuelling fault. However a decent run should then burn away any unburnt fuel and the sensors would then find the readings normal and the light would go out.

[JulieCarr]

I have had the same problem this evening. Engine cut out at roundabout, with the anti-pollution message up on the screen and the yellow light on the dash.

Unfortunately, I am guilty of using supermarket fuel - not much choice where I live - and put half a tank in yesterday from nearly empty.

I had to drive the car home with the light on. Drove ok.

I take it you are suggesting there could be something wrong with the fuel I put in yesterday. Is it worth filling up with an alternative to 'dilute' what I already have or is it better to wait until the tank is empty again?

Just when I thought my problems with this car were sorted .....

[GrandadMonkey]

Julie I wasn't suggesting anything about the fuel you use.

However, some cars seem ok on supermarket fuel, others don't seem to like it. My son's Vectra runs fine on it and any vouchers for cheap supermarket fuel I pass on to him. As for my experience, I had a Corsa that wouldn't run properly at all on the stuff. As a general rule I use Shell V Power petrol from time to time (most of the time) in our 1.6 206cc and it seems to thrive on it. The octane rating is a little higher which maximises power, and the cleansing additives in it keep the internals clean. It is more expensive though and I am not averse to filling up with any decent petrol e.g. BP, Texaco, Total, Esso.

My Golf TDI runs on any decent diesel and likewise I give it a treat from time to time with BP Ultimax Diesel, again because of the cleansing additives to keep the fuel injection system working top-notch.

In your case it is worth giving the car a lengthy run at motorway speeds to see if that clears the fault, and try a full tank of Shell V Power if you get the opportunity. However if the problem persists you may have to investigate further as there could be an inherent fault which may need a mechanical solution.

Good luck. Ron

[JulieCarr]

Motorway speeds! I live in Dorset - they don't even know what motorways are down here!

Seriously, thanks for the quick response. There is a Shell garage near where I work but I haven't used it for a couple of years since my card (and about 500 other people's) were cloned.

The handbook that comes with the car states that I could damage the cat convertor by driving with this light showing, so i'm a bit concerned about that, although I appreciate the light could signify various problems.

Would adding something like Reddex assist perhaps?

[GrandadMonkey]

If the fault is temporary because of, say, a build up of unburnt fuel, but the car is otherwise running normally, then to use the car on a longish run to get it up to full temperature and burn off those deposits should do no harm. That in itself could clear the fault.

If there is a more permanent fault, say an ignition misfire, an ecu fault, mis-fueling, then prolonged use could cause expensive damage to the cat.

Fault codes stored in the ecu can be read at your garage, although they are likely to make a charge, and could help identify the cause of your problem. Trouble is, you hear so many tales of parts being replaced willy-nilly, and expensively before a problem is solved.

I'm not a fan of Redex, but it should do no harm if you want to try it. I prefer to use decent fuel containing additives in the first place to prevent a build up of deposits.